🥜 Vintage Shedd’s Peanut Butter 5-Pound Advertising Tin Pail

Early Post-War Commercial Grocery Packaging | Circa 1950–1951

Offered is an authentic early-1950s Shedd’s Peanut Butter 5-lb commercial tin pail, produced for grocery stores and lunch counters during the post-World War II expansion of American packaged foods.

This is an original lithographed steel container, not a reproduction or decorative reissue, and represents an increasingly hard-to-find early configuration featuring the metal lid, wire bail handle, and bright yellow/red graphics that predate later plastic-lid versions.

🏭 Manufacturer

Shedd-Bartush Foods, Inc.

General Offices: Detroit, Michigan

Shedd’s was a major mid-century producer of peanut butter and margarine, supplying bulk containers to grocery stores, cafeterias, soda fountains, and restaurants throughout the United States.

📅 Dating & Authentication

This tin can be confidently dated to circa 1950–1951 based on the following verified characteristics:

Circled “H” manufacturer’s mark (Heekin Can Company)

Original red ink production code “7699”

Detroit address listed without ZIP code (pre-1963)

Lithographed steel construction (not paper label)

Tapered commercial pail form

Early post-war mascot artwork style

The circled-H with four-digit production code format was used by Heekin only during a short window from the late 1940s through early 1950s, allowing this example to be dated more precisely than most grocery tins.

🔍 Collector Significance

While Shedd’s peanut butter tins are known, this example represents an uncommon early configuration:

✔ metal lid (not plastic)

✔ original wire bail handle

✔ early red-and-yellow lithography

✔ pre-1960 commercial packaging

✔ Heekin Can Company manufacture

Most examples seen today are later 1950s–1970s versions with plastic lids, revised graphics, or missing components.

This earlier format appears far less frequently and is not commonly available in the current market.

📏 Approximate Measurements

Height: 6¼ inches

Top diameter: 6 inches

Bottom diameter: 5⅜ inches

Capacity: 5 pounds net weight

🎨 Design Features

Bright yellow lithographed steel body

Red cloud “Shedd’s” logo

“Peanut Butter – Easy to Spread” lettering

Early cartoon mascot graphics

Original red friction-fit metal lid

Original wire bail handle

Tapered bulk-store pail construction

🔎 Condition

Vintage condition consistent with age and original commercial use.

Several minor dents on body and lid

Surface scratches and scuffs

Interior oxidation typical of food tins

No structural rust-through

No repainting or restoration

Graphics remain bold and display very well.

Please review all photos carefully, as they are considered part of the description.

🏪 Display Appeal

Excellent for:

general store displays

farmhouse kitchens

mid-century décor

advertising collections

primitive or country interiors

Large 5-lb peanut butter tins are especially popular due to their size, bold color, and nostalgic grocery presence.

📦 Shipping

Item will be carefully packed to protect graphics and structure during shipment.

Combined shipping available when possible.

🧠 Collector Summary

Authentic early-1950s grocery advertising

Verified Heekin Can Company manufacture

Original lid and handle intact

Early production code “7699”

Uncommon metal-lid configuration

Strong color and graphics

A genuine survivor from the golden age of American grocery advertising.